I’ve been driving vans since I was 18. My father had an engineering business, and there always seemed to be some piece of heavy equipment which needed moving. I was charged with hiring a van and getting the job done.

The Transits that I first hired were slow, extremely noisy and difficult to drive. The lack of power steering meant that low-speed manoeuvres gave a full upper-body workout, especially with a full load on board.

The Transit has always seemed to dominate van sales in the UK, but the move to electrification has seen some new entrants to the market. The latest new challenger comes from Kia, and with plenty of experience of their excellent electric cars, I have high hopes for their new PV5 van, available as a commercial and passenger vehicle.
The UK media launch was held just before Christmas near the south coast, necessitating another long trek south. I wasn’t about to miss out on the chance of an early drive of such a potentially significant vehicle.

First a few facts and figures. Kia offers two batteries in the PV5. The smaller 51.5 kWh pack model has 120 bhp, a 0-62 mph sprint time of 12.8 seconds and a range of up to 183 miles. The larger 71.2 kWh battery version has an extra 40 bhp, which knocks a little over two seconds off the sprint to 62mph and has an increased range of up to 256 miles. Top speed is 84mph regardless of which version. These figures are for the passenger version, but there is little difference if you choose the commercial variant.

There are two trim levels to choose from. ‘Essential’ lives up to its title with a huge suite of safety kits included, as well as a reversing camera, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, rain-sensing wipers and automatic air conditioning. Upgrade to the ‘Plus’ model and you’ll find such niceties as heated front seats and steering wheel (rear too in the passenger model), electrically folding door mirrors, and wireless mobile phone charging, and there is the option of a heat pump.

Passenger vans start at £32,995, rising to £38,925 for a ‘Plus’ model with the larger battery. In commercial guise, prices range from £27,645 + VAT to £30,145 + VAT and don’t forget there is a government plug-in van grant of £5,000 applicable here too.

The PV5 can be charged quickly on a public DC charger, up to 150kW, so a 10-80% top-up should take around half an hour, which is hugely important for a working vehicle.

I had the opportunity to drive both commercial and passenger models. The latter offers a huge amount of space for five large adults to spread out. The front seats are comfortable and supportive, and the view out is excellent with plenty of glass and cameras and sensors when low-speed manoeuvring. The rear bench is fine with Isofix points on the two outer seats. Unusually, there are small opening windows in the rear doors, a nice touch.

The boot space is vast at over 1,300 litres, and the low floor means loading will be easy. Fold the seats, and a gargantuan 2,300 litres will now be available to use, ideal for those mountain bikes, tents, etc. Material quality is robust rather than plush, fine for a cargo van, perhaps a tad disappointing in a passenger vehicle. Recycled plastics are the order of the day.

Although the on-paper performance figures for the PV5 look somewhat modest, out on the road the PV5 felt pleasantly brisk. I am still having to get used to quiet vans, with only higher speeds generating some wind noise and rustle from around the wing mirrors. Other than that, peace and quiet, which makes for relaxing long-distance motoring.

If anything, the commercial van is even quieter, as there is a fixed bulkhead behind the front seats, making for a cosy driving compartment. The test cargo vans were all fully loaded, which didn’t seem to noticeably dull the performance and certainly smoothed out the ride a tad.

The PV5 has already drawn comparison with Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz. It’s undoubtedly a very cool and trendy option, but the five-seater will set you back almost £60,000. That makes the top PV5 look like something of a bargain. The Buzz is more engaging to drive, but I am not sure how much that matters with this type of vehicle.

Moving on to the PV5 Commercial, a quick look at Ford’s current price list confirms that prices for an E-Transit start at a heady £43,630 excluding VAT. Advantage Kia big time once again!

It should also be borne in mind that all PV5 vans come with Kia’s excellent 7-year/100,000-mile warranty (Volkswagen and Ford both offer just 3-year/60,000-mile warranties as standard).

The PV5 is just the first in a series of vans Kia will be offering over the next few years. I’m told PV7 and PV9 models are in the pipeline, and with such a flexible platform, up to 16 different versions are planned. Expect to see 7-seat passenger models, a flatbed truck and, who knows, maybe even a camper version.

The PV5 looks set to shake up the electric van sector. That it can do on price alone, but coupled with well-developed, reliable battery technology, decent driving characteristics and a comprehensive kit, it is sure to succeed. Kia expects to sell a modest 1,250 passenger PV5s in 2026, something it should achieve with ease. Ideal for the private hire market and large families alike.

As for the cargo version, do you really want to pay more than 50% more for the equivalent Transit? No, me neither. More in-depth reviews to follow later this year when I put the PV5 through its paces on local roads.